Kitten And Puppy Pics Boost Your Productivity, According To Science

By
Zahra Campbell-Avenell

I can haz more productivity?

Fellow office workers, I have good news for you. If you occasionally indulge in a bit of lolcats when you take a break, you may actually be helping your employer by being more productive when you get back to work.

In each experiment, there was a marked increase in performance after looking at pictures of adorable baby animals. Some experiments showed as much as a 43.9 per cent increase in speed, accuracy and dexterity for the ‘cute animals’ group, compared to just 11.9 per cent for the ‘adult animals’ group.

Here’s the graph to prove it:

Average task performance before and after viewing pictures of baby animals, adult animals and pleasant food

Neuroscientists at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign investigated the difference in participant performance after a ‘positive’ or ‘negative’ distraction. They found that positive images did not hamper the brain’s ability to focus on the task at hand, while negative images impaired performance. And since we know that cat videos engender warm fuzzy feelings, watching one on a break is not likely to break your concentration.

So go ahead, check out some of these adorable pictures below to enhance your mood and work performance – and while you’re at it, send them around to your colleagues and boss too. You’re welcome!

Improve your productivity, I shall

I sleep, therefore I cat

What's that? You've cat to be kitten me!

Oh hai...don't mind me, I'm just busy being adorable

I haven't blinked in 47 seconds! Wait 48 seconds, 49 seconds...

It's time for a collective 'Awwwwww'

I'm a little teacup, short and spout. That's how the song goes, right?

I didn't do it...I swear! #guiltydog

I gotta bone to pick withchu! #puglife

OMG I found the most comfortable shoe the other day! And it was my size!

I look like a Wiggle in this stupid yellow shirt! Take it off, take it off!!!

Did you hear that?

Yeah, I totally heard it...

This is what fluffy sleep looks like. That didn't make any sense did it? I'm too cute to care.

I make impossible workdays pawsible!

Don't go back to work yet! Paw-ease...

Enough with the lame puns already! Don't let the human leave, overwhelm it with cuteness!

Looking for other ways to boost your productivity levels? This infographic will tell you everything you need to know.